March 11 (UPI) — Laniah Ashley, a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, won $100,000 from a scratch-off ticket after she played the lottery for the first time on her birthday. Ashley turned 19 on Wednesday and bought a 100X The Cash scratch-off ticket for $20 after celebrating with her grandparents.
“It was my first time ever buying a ticket. I thought the colors on the ticket looked pretty so I chose that one,” she told lottery officials.
Ashley said she was too stunned to speak after realizing she had won and kept going over the numbers and rules.
“At first I kept it to myself because I didn’t want to sound crazy. I was too excited to believe it was true,” she said.
Ashley, a biology major with plans to attend medical school, walked away with $71,106 in total after state and federal taxes.
She said the money will go towards school and to helping out her grandparents.